There is a laundry list of considerations students should keep in mind when selecting a college. After you're accepted, it's important to look at both cost and class offerings for the degree or career you hope to pursue, as well as the overall fit of the school.

Turns out, not all states are equal in terms of opportunities for students, according to a recent report by WalletHub, a personal finance website. WalletHub looked at the availability of paid internships and student jobs as part of its ranking.

To assess student opportunity, WalletHub used data from sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Institute for College Access & Success. The site also considered the unemployment rate for new grads — ages 25 to 35 — as well as the rate of underemployment. It measured the availability of student jobs and paid internships.

"It's sort of like shopping — some people do well in large malls with tons of options, others do well in tiny boutiques," said Barmak Nassirian, director of federal policy with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. "The same goes for learning."

Location, location, location

Location can be a big part of the fit of the school and the experience a student will have. If a student has the luxury of moving away, it's something they should consider, Nassirian said.

"Location has all kinds of consequences for any co-curricular activities," Nassirian said. WalletHub's report measured opportunity for those in college by looking at the availability of student jobs and paid internships.

Many of the states on the Top 10 list, such as New York and Massachusetts, are home to large cities with opportunities for students and grads. But other states with smaller cities, such as Minnesota, Colorado, Virginia and Maine, rounded out the list.

These are the top states for college students and recent grads

State

Grant & Student Work Opportunities Rank

Maine

1

Massachusetts

2

Minnesota

3

New York

4

Colorado

5

Hawaii

6

Missouri

7

Maryland

8

New Hampshire

9

Virginia

10

Connecticut

11

North Dakota

12

New Jersey

13

Vermont

14

Illinois

15

California

16

South Dakota

17

District of Columbia

18

Wyoming

19

Arizona

20

New Mexico

21

Rhode Island

22

Utah

23

Iowa

24

Nebraska

25

Washington

26

Idaho

27

Oregon

28

Georgia

29

Texas

30

Tennessee

31

Indiana

32

Montana

33

Kansas

34

Wisconsin

35

South Carolina

36

Florida

37

Arkansas

38

Louisiana

39

Michigan

40

Pennsylvania

41

Ohio

42

Mississippi

43

Oklahoma

44

North Carolina

45

Alabama

46

Delaware

47

Nevada

48

West Virginia

49

Kentucky

50

Alaska

51

Source: WalletHub

"It's not always favorable to the cities," Nassirian said. "If you want to become a marine biologist, a rural setting on a coast is where you'll have the greatest opportunities for experiences."

Beyond thinking about location, Nassirian advised weighing the output of each school you're considering. Looking at graduation statistics is a good place to start assessing a school's track record. If the graduation rate is high, there's a good chance that the school has a solid program and environment for learning. If the rate is low, that could be a potential red flag, Nassirian said.

In the end, students are pursuing a college degree to put what they learn to use, said Nassirian, and so graduating with a degree of value should be a top priority.

Opportunities for recent grads

For those thinking about where they should end up after graduation, it's also important to look at opportunity.

The unemployment and underemployment rates for recent graduates ages 25 to 34 was an important measure to assess how students would fair paying back loans, said Jill Gonzalez, a senior analyst for WalletHub.

Student loan debt now tops $1.5 trillion and more than 42 million Americans are still paying back the cost of college, according to the office of Federal Student Aid.

New graduates looking to move should "consider the cost of living," said Gonzalez. In a bigger city, "even if salary is higher, cost of living is higher, too."